A New Face
by swiftwriter
Summary: This story is based on one of the later books in the gone series. Here enters a new character "Amy", who seems delightful enough, but is everything as it seems?
1. The Riders

Sam's heart pace quickened. He needed to get back to Astrid, to see if she was alright. But the darkness was overwhelming. It seemed to be engulfing even his emotions. He threw another ball of light into the air; hopefully someone would find him, wandering around in the desert. He just hoped it was someone who was not intent on his death.

What was that? Sam thought to himself. He could have sworn he had heard the distance noise of padded hooves along the ground. He could not throw off the feeling that he was being followed, glancing back every thirty seconds to check.

There it was again, only closer. This time, when Sam glanced around, he saw the distinct shadow of two people on horseback. He stood his ground. Suddenly, the face of a girl was thrown into the light, but only for a second. Sam knew that face. Fear began to trickle inside him. It was Diana.

Sam, exhausted from walking, mustered up the last of his strength and shot a bolt of light straight at the female rider. However, the bolt did not seem to touch the stranger, but simply bounce off into the distance. The riders stopped and suddenly Sam felt his feet leave the ground. Great long green vines had wrapped themselves around his wrists and had lifted him into the air. He didn't understand… since when could Diana produce trees?

"Whoa, there mate. You nearly kill my horse" Said the voice of the girl. She dismounted and walked closer, until she was underneath one of Sam's balls of light, and he became even more confused. For the girl looked like a replica of Diana, only some of the features were wrong. She had the same build, but her face seemed to be even more defined, with a smirk permanently etched across her mouth. Her eyes were an emerald colour and her hair was fairer, a light blonde rather than brown. She also spoke with an English accent.

"I am not Diana, by the way. My names Amy" Amy said in an almost disappointed tone. Sam's face screwed up in bemusement. How had she known what he was thinking?

"My brother can read minds" Amy explained, as if she was talking to a fourth grader. The other rider came off his horse and walked into the light. He also had features that reflected Diana. His hair, for example, was the same shade of brown. But he too had the bright emerald green eyes.

Sam felt something pass through him, it was as though he had been showered in ice cold water, and in his head a voice announced "I'm Tom". Sam looked down at Tom, he was more than used to strange things happening, ever since the world had turned upside down, but this was a new level. Tom smiled up at him.

"I think we should just talk for now Tom, I don't think this boy is ready for your gift." Amy laughed, turning to her brother. Sam felt disgruntled; he was embarrassed at how easily these two had held him hostage. He hadn't had a chance to fight back.

"Err… Can you let me down?" demanded Sam.

"What's the magic word?" Amy asked sarcastically. Her face lit up in pleasure. She knew that, in that moment, she had all the power. She was toying with him, insulting his masculinity.

"Please" Sam replied. He felt the vines loosen their grip and he slipped through, onto the ground. Now he was closer, he could see that both Amy and Tom were wearing the same odd outfit. They were both wearing sports tops, however, directly over the heart, was a metal disc.

"So, Sam…" Sam didn't question how Amy knew his name; he could still feel Tom's presence inside his head and wished he could stop. There were private thoughts in there that he did not wish to share with these two strangers.

"…What brings you out here on this fine day?" Amy's level of sarcasm never seemed to stop, he did not bother replying: he was sure she already knew why.

"Well, since you seem to already realise the extent of my brother's gift…" Amy said, still smirking at Sam. "Haven't you got any questions for us?"

In fact, Sam had billions. He felt Tom's presence disappear from his head. He seemed to understand that Sam was upset by it. He smiled again at Sam, and Sam could not help but smile back. Tom seemed to have warmth in him, which certainly was not present in Amy.

"Yes actually, your power" he asked Amy directly "What is it?"

"Easy, I have power over the elements…" she replied, a grin on her face, "Fire…Water…Earth… and Air" and in between each, she demonstrated the power, creating it within her hand.

Sam couldn't help but be amazed. Her power was incredible. He was almost certain that Amy was a four bar, at least.

"I am 15 by the way, already past the end mark, and Tom is 12." Amy said, indicating to her brother. She sat on the ground, and created a fire. "How about you sit and I will tell you our story?"

Sam could not help but be intrigued, but he needed to find Astrid. He didn't have time to sit and listen to their story, he had to keep moving.

"We will come with you if you like" said Tom, completely out of the blue, he had read Sam's mind again. "We can help you find her." Tom turned to his sister with a stern look, who, in turn, looked back grumpily. For a while there was silence. Sam looked between them; he could tell that they were conversing, as their facial expressions kept changing, but no words were spoken. Tom was using his power to have a private conversation with his sister. It annoyed Sam, as he knew they were talking about him. Eventually it appeared that Tom won the argument.

"Fine" Amy said, defeated. "Come on Brick" and Sam saw the horse on which Amy had been riding, lift its head and follow in her pursuit. The other horse did the same when Tom beckoned it. Sam had not paid any attention to the horses, but now that he looked more carefully, he saw that they too had metal discs slung over their backs.

"You coming or not?" questioned Amy, turning to face him. Sam quickened his pace and fell into step beside her.

"So, where have you come from?" Sam asked.

"The mountains…" Amy explained, pointing to the southwest. "When the bubble was formed, only Tom and I were left. Our older sister disappeared, just like the rest of them. We searched for days along the mountains, but no one was there. That was when I discovered my power" Amy announced, glancing into the distance at the memory, "Tom already knew his, we conversed within our heads long before all the strange things happened. We were sitting by a lake, after walking a far distance, when a group of coyotes approached. They didn't seem to be frightened of us, and no matter what I did, they carried on coming…" Sam knew how some of the animals' activity had changed; he had witnessed the coyotes himself.

"…I freaked out, and suddenly I felt fire burst out from my hands. It was completely in defence, but I felt the power surge through me, and suddenly I knew I could control not only fire, but the earth, air and water."

"That was the first time I killed anything" Said Amy, her defence seemed to be disappearing, along with her originally cold appearance. "I felt dreadful, and then they spoke…" Sam knew about this, he had met the leader of the coyotes before. "It was like they were humans; it only made what I had done worse. That was when Tom realised he could converse with some animals. Their new intelligence meant that Tom could read their minds. That's when we learnt of the green glow. It was controlling them, they were powerless. Tom tried to rid them of it, but it was too powerful. It began infecting his mind so I knew we had to move away. We set up camp on a hill. My new powers meant I could produce fruit and vegetables with ease. So we lived like that for a while, Tom made friends with some of the animals, like Brick and Blaze here." Amy looked back at the horses, both of whom looked up in affection at her. Sam didn't understand. They seemed to be some connection between them, but Amy didn't have the power of mind reading, so how come she could talk to her horse…

"But I couldn't help but wonder if there were others out there, not unlike yourself, who were trying to survive. When the light started to disappear, I realised we needed to find other children. So we jumped on our horses, and here we are." Amy concluded, looking up at Sam.

Sam still had a million and one questions, but first he needed to check something "You said that you can produce fruit…" Understanding dawned on Amy's face. He was asking for a demonstration, but she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she looked almost smug at his evident impression by her gift. From her hand she produced a small vine, on which hung a single apple.

"Here" she said, handing him the fruit. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. The sweetness of its juice ran down his throat. He had missed that taste.

"Well, now you know my story, can you explain to me what is going on?" Amy questioned. Sam didn't understand. He had felt Tom's presence inside his mind, so he was certain that he knew all about the dome, and yet it seemed as though he had not revealed the truth to his sister. Was there something inside the story that Amy feared? He had barely started when Sam learnt exactly why Tom had not retold the story to her.

"Did you say…Drake?" Amy had stopped in her tracks. She looked up and Sam saw that her defence had completely melted away. She seemed to be hurt; the name had caused her pain. A sad look appeared on her face, it was screwed up in worry.

"You…You know him?" Sam asked, intrigued.

"Yes… You see, when you thought I was Diana… I didn't explain properly… She's my sister." Amy replied. Sam was shocked, yes they looked alike, and sometimes Amy's tone reflected her, but her personality could not have been more different. Amy had looked terrified at the remembrance of killing the coyotes, something that Diana would have taken pleasure in.

"Well, half-sister. Tom and I lived with our Dad in England until I was 12. He died, so we moved out here to live with Mum. Me and Diana are nothing alike though, she was sent to that school after she got into horrible trouble at home. My mum had tried to control her, but one day Diana flipped. I found Mum dead on the sofa…" Sam looked down, feeling guilty; once, he had lost control and ended up burning his mother's boyfriend's hand off. "… I only saw her once a month, but that was when I met Drake…"

Sam knew the look on her face… It was the look Astrid reserved only for him. However, there was a mixture of pain in there. "… He was an arrogant, self-obsessed boy, but he seemed to change for me. He was nicer, more self-conscious, he revealed stuff to me I don't think anyone else knows. I couldn't help it. The more I saw him, the more I liked him. My problem was I began to ignore the pain he was inflicting on others. Until one day he went too far…"

Now pain shot across Amy's face, she looked down at her brother, tears swelled in her eyes. Tom held her hand; it seemed to give her strength, so she carried on.

"… I visited him, with Tom. Tom has never been loud, and Drake began to pick on him. I didn't notice it until I found Tom, knocked out cold on the floor. Drake was laughing…" Amy looked forward, she was reliving the memory. "… I scream at him. I've never felt so angry. That soon wiped the smile off his face, he pleaded with me to forgive him, but I couldn't. He had deliberately hurt my brother… For fun…" Tom squeezed Amy's hand. "…The last time I saw him, was just after the dome appeared. He came to our house and begged me to come with him. I refused, so he made me promise that I wouldn't leave the house. Then, he simply ran away…" Amy finished. It felt like something was lodged in her throat, she couldn't believe she had just revealed some of her deepest secrets to a complete stranger. But she couldn't help trusting him.

"Oh" was Sam's only response. He had never thought that Drake could feel any manner of feelings. But, if what Amy said was true, then he once had indeed fallen in love. It also meant, however, that he had just made allies with a girl who had a past with his biggest enemy.

"I should never have trusted him, it was foolish" Amy said, more to herself than anyone else. Sam tried to change the subject.

"What are those metal discs?" Sam asked. He genuinely was intrigued by them. Amy's smirk once again appeared on her face, but some of her sarcasm seemed to of vanished. "I invented them. They protect me from another ones power, and it also helps me communicate with Brick"

That explained why Sam's beam had bounced off Amy. Again, he was surprised.

"Have you made anymore?" he asked.

"Yes" Amy replied, "I've made 5 in all, but they take a long time to build, and it took me several attempts before they actually work. But I am pretty proud of them."

"How do they work?"

"Well, Tom's power doesn't just allow him to read people's minds, it also helps block out people's powers. So I used some of Tom's power and inserted them into these discs. Therefore, if you are wearing one, no one can use their powers against you."

It was incredible. Amy had created a system that would make him immune to attack. They may not be affective on Drake, but it would certainly be affective against Caine. It was simply whether her past would not affect her actions.

"Have you ever had to use them in a fight?" Sam asked.

"No" she replied "The only time I've ever used it properly was about 20 minutes ago" Amy smiled and Sam smiled back. There was something about Amy that he couldn't help but like. He looked down and felt a sudden urge to reach out and grab hold of Amy's hand. What are you doing? Sam questioned himself; you are out here looking for Astrid!

Sam shook his head; to rid the idea from his mind and instead concentrated on their location. It was still pitch black, and the only light came from Sam's light balls and the fire Amy was producing from her hands.

"This is stupid" Amy suddenly remarked, "We might as well ride into town, it will be much faster." So Amy and Tom mounted their horses. Sam felt stupid, what was he going to do? Were they just going to leave him here?

"You're such an idiot" Amy laughed, obviously knowing what he had thought. She stuck out her hand. Sam grabbed on and, with surprising strength, she pulled him onto her horse. Sam felt awkward, should he grab her waist?

"I'm not a monster, hold on." So he wrapped his arms around her and they galloped away, Sam leading them, in the general direction of the town.


	2. The Stand Off

"We know where he is…" Sam remarked. They needed to get a move on if they wanted to take on Drake now. "…are you sure you want to come?" he asked Amy sympathetically.

"You're not changing my mind Sam" Amy snapped back. Her face was set like stone. He knew she needed to see for herself what kind of monster Drake had become, but Sam was worried, worried that the sight of him would cause her to breakdown. But he needed her, and her powers. Both her and Jack had been working long and hard on her defence mechanisms, producing 5 more. Sam was wearing one now. It felt oddly heavy against his chest, but the extra protection was, nevertheless, reassuring.

"Come on then, let's go" announced Sam. Breeze led the way, checking the coast was clear, whilst Amy and Sam followed.

They travelled for an hour with no sign of life. The desert was hot and sweltering. Sam kept looking behind to check on Amy. Her face had turned white, she looked frightened. Sam had to make up his mind, could he risk her in front of Drake? He had to think of a diversion to get her away before they approached him.

"Amy…" began Sam, she didn't snap back, another bad sign. "…why don't you go back and collect the horses, then we can cover the land more quickly."

Amy looked like she was about to refuse, but then she turned and began to run back in the general direction of the town.

"Where's she gone?" Breeze asked. Sam had not told anyone about Amy's past with Drake, not even Astrid. He didn't like to think of the way she would be treated if they did. They would treat her exactly as he had just treated her now. Weak. He already regretted his decision.

"She's gone to collect the horses, it will be quicker than us walking" Sam replied.

Breeze looked at him quizzically. She had the power to run faster than anything; horses wouldn't make a difference. Sam turned his head away, scared that Brianna would detect the lie in his eyes.

In their distraction, neither of them had noticed the commotion behind them. Drake had been lurking, listening to their short conversation, deciding when to strike. Hatred bubbled in his chest. Did Sam really think that he could be taken by only him and Breeze? He had seen the third person running away, but took no notice in her. With only two, it was easier for him to damage them. He uncoiled his whip hand, and walked steadily closer to his target.

Sam had no time to react; Drake had already whipped him aside. Stars formed in front of his eyes as he tried to focus on the situation at hand. He stood up to see that Drake had already knocked Brianna out cold, and was advancing onto him.

Sam took aim and fired, but Drake was ready. He ducked, narrowly missing the killer beam of light, and extended his whip hand, wrapping it around Sam so that he could no longer move.

"No one to save you now is there Sam?" Drake said maliciously "I'm going to crush you like a bug, and no one will be here to hear you scream…"

Amy was ashamed. Why was she acting so weak? She had seen the look on Sam's face when he asked her to retrieve the horses. She knew he had only asked this of her so that she did not have to face Drake. Why had she told him about her past? He would never rely on her if he thought she wasn't strong enough.

Amy stopped in her tracks. What was she doing? Why was she walking away? She knew she could simply use her disc to call her horse. So why return to town? They would all see her, know she was a coward. She couldn't have that.

Amy looked down at her disc and pressed the button she knew would call Brick. Within seconds, he was by her side. He shook his long mane in her face and Amy could not help feeling comforted. Brick gave her strength. So she mounted and headed back in the direction she had just come.

Sam's windpipe was blocked. He could no longer scream. Drake's eyes were bulging with rage and pleasure at the pain he was inflicting upon Sam.

Please let me die here, Sam thought. The pain had become so intense his vision was blurring. He felt tears run down his cheeks and could soon taste them in his mouth. Drake's laughter filled his head. He was going to die like this, at the hands of a psycho.

"AHHHHH!" yelled a strangled voice close to Sam's ear. He felt the grip on him loosen and fall away as Drake was pulled off him. Sam sunk to the floor, gasping for breath, and looked up at his saviour.

It was Amy.

She had pulled the exact same trick she had used on him the first time he met her. He could see Drake dangling in the air, struggling against the vines which were holding him captive. He glared wildly around for his attacker, and the dawn of recognition was unmistakeable upon his face. He stopped fighting against the vines, and instead gazed down at Amy, who was dismounting her horse.

"Amy…?" He said, in a voice unlike anything Sam had ever heard come from his mouth before. It was of sorrow, and longing. Drake seemed to be shying away from her; he looked at his whip hand as if he wished she had not seen it.

"Hello Drake" Amy's voice came out hash and cold. Her face was set. She looked both angry and upset at the situation. Sam was paralysed, unsure what to do. He felt unwelcome, like he was intruding into someone else's personal life.

"What's happened to you Drake?" Amy asked her voice breaking as she tried to hold back her tears. Drake seemed unable to reply, only gazed down avidly at her in embarrassment. He tried to turn away but the vines restricted his movement, so all he could do was wiggle his feet.

Sam had never seen him like this, he looked almost…human.

"Why are you here Amy? Why did you leave the house?" Drake asked, in a tone unlike anything Sam had heard before. He sounded as if he was pleading.

"Because I needed to see what was going on… You disappeared, you never returned. I was afraid that you would get hurt… But I was wrong... You were the one causing the pain" Her tone changed to one of anger and resentment. "I can't believe I trusted you, when all you have done is cause destruction."

"Amy…" Drake interrupted.

"NO!" screamed Amy "I CANNOT BELIEVE I EVER LET YOU TOUCH ME WITH THOSE FILTHY HANDS! I CANNOT BELIEVE I NEVER SAW YOU FOR WHAT YOU REALLY ARE! A PYSCHOPATH, A NUT CASE!" At this, Amy lost it. She blasted him with water. He spluttered and tried to cry out, but Amy didn't let him speak. Her anger was mounting, the wind was picking up. Sam was soon lost in a whirl of sand, as the wind stirred it up. He could no longer see; only hear the argument taking place a few feet from where he was lying.

"I only did it to protect you…"

"…TO PROTECT ME? YOU HURT INNOCENT PEOPLE TO PROTECT ME! YEAH I CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD HELP!"

"Amy please, listen…"

"…NO YOU LISTEN HERE! I AM SICK OF BEING AFFECTED BY YOU! YOU ARE EVIL, MANIPULATIVE! DISGUSTING!"

"I only did it because…"

"…BECAUSE… WHAT? BECAUSE YOU TAKE PLEASURE IN OTHER PEOPLES SUFFERING? BECAUSE… YOU ENJOY THE FEELING OF POWER?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!"

Suddenly, the wind died, and the sand fell to the ground. Sam saw Amy staring up at Drake, tears streaking down her cheeks, but her face was still full of anger. He could see her chest rising and falling at a fast pace, as though she had just run a marathon. Drake's face too was wet with tears, and full of emotion.

"Amy…" Drake begged.

"Do with him what you like…" Amy said, completely ignoring Drake's plea. "I no longer care for this scumbag." To which, Drake's face fell, he looked sad, and angry at himself. He was still helpless, held up by the vines Amy had captured him in.

"Please…" But Amy had had enough. She produced a third vine, and whipped him round the face, leaving red marks in its trail.

Amy turned on her heel, and walked over to Sam. He looked up, and was surprised to find that he was still lying on the floor. She held out a hand and helped him up.

"So, what are we going to do with him?" Amy seemed determined not to make eye contact with Sam. She knew his face would be full of pity, but she didn't wish to feel weak.

"Can you tie him up with your vines?"

"Sure" Amy replied, extending more vines which wrapped around Drake's legs, hands, and covered his mouth. They were not really needed, as Amy's third vine seemed to of knocked him unconscious anyway.

Sam turned to Breeze's body sprawled on the ground. She still had a pulse.

"Amy, I need you to go back and get the others, we can't carry both Drake and Breeze" Sam said.

"Brick will carry them" answered Amy. At the mention of his name, Brick walked forward and knelt down on his front legs. Sam helped Amy tie both bodies to Bricks saddle before they started walking forward. Amy was still avoiding eye contact with Sam, and Sam did not want to talk about what he had just seen…or heard. So they walked on in silence.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that…" Amy remarked, after about half an hours walking. She turned her face to Sam's, and he saw that tears were once again running down her cheeks. "… I'm not weak, I just…" Her voice trailed off, but Sam understood. If he walked in on Astrid deliberately hurting someone, he didn't know what he would do. He knew Amy couldn't help what she felt, but it was still horrible to see her this way.

"Let's stop and eat something" Sam said, offering her some meat. She took it but didn't eat anything. He moved round and sat next to her. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed like this for a while, in silence. It seemed they had reached a mutual understanding, and soon they drifted off to sleep.

When they awoke, it was to find that the sun was already protruding over the horizon. Amy looked up to see that both Breeze and Drake were still unconscious and attached to Brick. They hadn't been asleep for long, but Amy felt energised. She no longer felt sad, but determined that Drake should get what he deserved. Sam stood up and pulled his T-shirt back over his bare chest. Amy had been shivering, so he had covered her to keep her warm.

They gathered up their stuff and soon set off again in the direction of the town. Amy was happy to have Sam with her. It wasn't like she fancied him or anything; he was just the only one who seemed to understand her. He was more like a brother; an elder brother that she never had, who would protect her. She liked that feeling, that she was protected. It made her feel safe and secure.

Sam smiled at her, it was a relief when they entered the town and he saw Astrid. He could not help but be tempted by Amy. She had shown him her vulnerability, and he couldn't help becoming even more attracted to her than when they first met. The night they had spent together, it had taken every bit of Sam's will power not to kiss her. He could still picture her golden hair, flopped over her face, which was half lit up by the moonlight. Her warm breath on his chest had sent shivers down his spine. But he loved Astrid, and from what he witnessed, Amy loved Drake, so it was a stupid thought. Nevertheless, he was glad to see that Tom was not present at the welcome party…


	3. Meeting Quinn

Amy had always enjoyed rowing. Back in England she had been a member of a squad at her school. So when she heard about the rowers fishing, she was naturally eager to join. But Sam, Albert and Edilio had other ideas. They didn't let her. They said they need her to help with the planting and growing of crops, an extremely dull and boring job.

However, during the evenings, she would sneak off and settle herself onto one of the boats. She would row until she reached the barrier. Amy enjoyed the exercise. She liked the strain on her muscles and the movement the boat created through the water. It was rhythmic and relaxing. Rowing was the one thing that made her forget about the present. It made her feel like she was home again.

It was on one of these midnight rows when she and Quinn first met. Quinn had fallen asleep on board the boat, the rocking soothed him. He was therefore extremely surprised when he felt the boat begin to move.

He sat bolt upright and heard a gasp as the rhythm of the oars halted. He had been covered by a sheet, so the stranger on board had obviously not notice him.

"Oh my God, sorry, I didn't see you there. I just wanted to… You see they don't allow…" but the girls voice trailed off. It was odd, her accent was…English?

"Who are you?" Quinn asked harshly, he had been dreaming that he was surfing, and was therefore thoroughly annoyed to be woken up.

"I'm Amy"

"Oh… you're the new girl?" Quinn remarked, and instantly regretted saying, as Amy's face had fallen. She clearly did not like that label.

"Just because I'm 'new' does not mean you are any better than me" It was clear she had taken offence. Quinn tried to take back what he had said.

"No… I didn't mean… It was just a figure of speech" Quinn spluttered out. A look of anxiety crossed his face, which quickly change to befuddlement as Amy burst out into laughter.

"I'm only kidding, don't worry I'm not that uptight" Amy said in a reassuring voice. Quinn wasn't sure about her. He could tell that she was putting up a wall between them. He could tell simply by looking at her, it was exactly how he acted.

"How come you are on my boat?" questioned Quinn.

"This is _your _boat?"

"Yes, _my _boat"

"Well is that really any of your business?" Again he could feel the wall separating himself from her. She was putting up a hard front.

"Well yes, as I'm The Fisherman. I'm Quinn," Quinn held out a hand. She took it, looking a bit sceptical and he couldn't blame her. A handshake? Since when had he been formal with greetings?

"Well, Quinn…" Amy emphasised his name, smirking as she did so "…as you have clearly demonstrated your generosity, I will converse with you, so that one may understand my comeuppance." She broke off in fits of laughter. She was completely ripping him off, he now felt extremely stupid about the handshake.

He gave her a look of disgust "Fine then, get off my boat." He said bluntly, pointing to the water below him.

Amy held back her laughter and shook her hands in front of her face "No I'm sorry, that was rude, I just couldn't help myself…" she smirked again, but his look of anger did not fade, so Amy changed subject.

"I used to live in England with my dad and I was part of the rowing club at school. It was always my favourite sport, and when I heard you were fishing here I wanted to join in. But the others didn't let me… They said my powers had to be put to use…"

"What are your powers?"

"I can control the elements"

Quinn tried to keep his face straight, but he had never been good at holding back his emotions. He felt his eyebrows rise in surprise; he had never heard of such a diverse power. He was sure that she must be equal if not more powerful than both Caine and Sam. He couldn't help feel a little bit frighten. This girl sitting in front of him; who looked completely normal, had the power to control what was right underneath him.

Amy seemed to of registered Quinn's nervousness, and heaved a sign. "You are probably the first one who is actually worried by my power, apart from me."

"You are worried about your power?" This seemed odd to Quinn. No mutant that he had met thus far had ever been ashamed of their power.

"Well, what if I lose control? What if I get angry and strike out? I could kill someone so easily, that's what scares me. The fact that killing another human would be as easy as stepping on an ant" Amy's face had become screwed up in anxiety too. What had happened to her? She used to never open up about her feelings, and now she had already done it to two boys in only a short number of days. One she had met strolling through the desert and another on a boat. Was she becoming weak?

But just as these thoughts filled her head, Quinn reached out and held her hand. The warmth of his skin was comforting, she felt reassured…and something else. It was an odd feeling, after seeing Drake all messed up; she hadn't felt anything but grief, anger and sadness. But this was a new feeling, her stomach seemed to be turning, tying and untying knots. They weren't huge knots, just large enough to make her feel happy, but not giddy. It confused her.

"You won't lose control" Quinn said, in a soothing voice. His mood had changed so suddenly, it surprised even him. A few seconds ago, he had loathed the girl, but her outburst had shown her vulnerability, and Quinn knew how hard it was to share your weaknesses.

"And how do you know that?" Amy remarked, although her snappy tone had gone. It had been replaced with a voice that sounded desperate for an answer.

"Because you obviously worry about it so much, you won't allow it to happen"

"Really?" and this time, Amy's voice sounded like a child; scared and frightened, looking for reassurance from their parent.

"Really" Quinn replied, with a sense of finality in his voice. Amy's face split open into a smile. It was the first real smile she had made since the beginning of the FAYZ, where the only emotion behind it was happiness and relief. Her smile lit up her face, and only then did Quinn note her beauty. Her golden hair was reflecting in the moonlight. Her huge eyes seemed to sparkle, and her smile, her smile was warm and comforting. He could have just sat there, and gazed at her all night.

But she turned her head, and looked towards shore.

"Err... Quinn… I think we drifted" They were now half way between the San Francisco de Sales Island, and the shore of Perdidio Beach.

"Oh…Crap…" Quinn replied, and he turned to look at her.

At the same moment, they both burst into laughter. Amy was holding onto her chest while Quinn's eyes began to shine with tears. They laughed, non-stop, for around 20 minutes, soon clutching stiches in their sides. But the mood had lightened; there was no longer tension, but joyfulness between them. It was like they were children again.

"It looks like we will be staying the night on the boat." Quinn said, looking directly at Amy. She smiled the same smile again.

"Lucky then, that I have a pack of cards…" and from her backpack she pulled out a pack of battered, but nonetheless, useable cards. This was something of a luxury for Quinn, who had not played a single game for weeks.

They sat up all night, laughing and playing. They played games like "snap" and "rummy" and "beat jack out of doors" until finally the sun dawned on them. They sat in silence, with Amy between his legs and her head rested against his chest, whilst he lent against her backpack. Together, they watched the sunrise, and with it, brought the hash return to reality. Without even conversing, they picked up the oars and began to row back to shore. Amy had her back to Quinn, to which he was glad, as it meant that he could stare at her lock of golden hair, dancing in the morning light, without feeling embarrassed.

They moored the boat. It was still too early for anyone to be up and getting ready for a mornings fishing, so they were alone. A silence had fallen between them both, as if what had occurred during the night had left them in an awkward situation. It wasn't as if he had tried it on with her, Quinn thought, but he couldn't help but be fascinated, and in awe of her.

She stood up and clambered back onto the boat, in order to retrieve her bag. Quinn followed, although with no real reason, and so, as a distraction, pretended to check the oars for any scratches or markings.

"Well, I best be off" Amy said turning to face Quinn. He really didn't want her to leave. He would've rather stayed out on that boat for another day, but he knew that they both had duties.

"I guess I'll see you round" Quinn replied, trying with all his might to be nonchalant, but failing. Even he had heard his disappointment in his voice.

"See you" and before Quinn could react, Amy bent down and kissed him lightly on the cheek. His mouth opened in shock. But before he could reply, Amy had already leaped graciously from the boat and began to walk into town. It took him a while before he shut his mouth again, and he only started moving when one of his fishermen walked up and asked what the hell he was gaping at.


	4. Unpredictable

As Amy walked away, a wave of guilt hit her like a bullet to the stomach. She felt sick…why? It wasn't like she had come onto Quinn; they had just talked and joked about. Nothing to feel guilty over…

But Amy knew what the real reason was, she felt guilty because of the butterflies that had appeared whist she was with Quinn. She had forgotten everything in that moment where he had looked at her. Only one other person had ever made her feel that way… and right now he was locked up in a cell…

Drake.

She bit back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to find Sam, and soon, otherwise there was a high chance she would do something irrational…

Amy quickened her pace as she raced into town, hoping that Sam was there and not down by the lake. She headed for the church which was no longer in its best state. On one side, the walls had completely caved in, leaving rubble and a thick layer of dust strewn across the road. This was as a result of the main battles that had occurred in this particular part of town. From this side, you could see into the church, and it was from here that Amy entered. Recently Sam had been spending a lot of time in the church, so Amy thought it highly likely that he would be found in here.

She was quickly disappointed. A lone figure could be seen kneeling in front of the alter, but the built was far too large to be Sam. She walked up to the person anyway, hoping they would have some information on Sam's whereabouts.

As she got closer, she realised the figure was Edilio. He had his eyes closed but as she slid down to kneel beside him they opened. He turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile. Evidently, the pain that she could still feel in her chest was displayed across her face. He reached down and tangled his fingers in hers.

"I need to talk to Sam" Amy said turning to face him.

Edilio remained silent. His only reply was an increase in pressure on her hand.

"Where is he?"

"By the cell, guarding Drake," Edilio replied.

Amy's whole body stiffened. She needed to talk to Sam, but she did not think she could handle the proximity to Drake. The last time they had encountered each other, she had lashed out and been reduced to tears.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding hands, whilst Amy tried to regain her strength in order to pursue Sam. She needed to talk to him, but did not want to in the face of the person who was actually the problem. Why was she being a coward? What had happened to her? She sighed, and disentangled her fingers from Edilio's, pushing herself up onto her feet. She turned, and began walking down the aisle, passing the deserted pews covered in dust. She exited from the main door this time instead of through the rubble.

The wind whipped her golden hair in front of her face as she glided over to the dark grey slab of concrete under which was Drakes cell. It was as if she was in a trance, her thoughts trailed off, replaying last night's events with Quinn inside the rowing boat. What she would have given to have stayed like that forever, just them two. She felt a stab of guilt again at the thought. What was wrong with her? Throughout the walk she was deep in thought and therefore was thoroughly surprised to find herself at the top of the steps that led down to the cell.

She took them two at a time, desperate to find Sam and get out of there without having to look at Drake. She knew that the sight of him would bring back memories that she both wished to treasure and forget. It was pitch black when she reached the bottom. Something caught in her throat. She knew if Sam was really down here, the light would be on. But something propelled her to find out what was in the dark. She fumbled around, feeling the wall for the switch that would brighten up the room. Eventually she found it and flicked the light on.

"If that's you Sam, I swear I will rip open this cell, tear you to pieces, and laugh as you scream for mercy,"

Drake spun around as he talked, with a gruesome, ruthless expression etched across his face. As soon as he saw the girl, whose face was full of sadness and pain, he instantly regretted his words. He reached out, forgetting that they were separated by wrought iron bars. He let the arm fall against his side and swung it awkwardly next to his lean figure. When he spoke, his voice came out quite and broken.

"Why are you here, Amy?"

"I… I came looking for Sam." Amy did not seem able to look him directly in the eyes, this only made Drake feel worse.

"Look at me Amy, please,"

Her head rose slowly up, her eyes taking in everything from his dirty shoes, to his muscled torso, to the deep blue eyes that seemed to go on forever.

"I'm… I'm sorry Amy,"

"You're sorry?" He could feel the anger burning inside her, threatening to burst out as much as he could feel his own longing for her within him.

"That's it? You're sorry? Do you know how hard this is?" And before he could reply, she fell to her knees sobbing. A knot appeared in Drakes stomach. It felt weird. Normally, when he saw a girl break down he took pleasure from their weakness, he was a misogynist, but now…all he felt was sorrow.

Reacting on impulse, he crouched down by the bars of his cell and reached his hand out to Amy. He ran his hand through her hair, sending a shiver down both of their spines.

Drake closed his eyes as memories rushed through his head. The first time he held her hand… The first time she smiled at him… And the first time they kissed… Oh he could still remember the softness of her lips and the smell of her hair like a summer's day.

"What's happened to you Drake?"

The words came out calm and slow. He opened his eyes to find Amy within an inch of his face. Her large emerald eyes sparkled from the tears that had just moments before been running down her cheeks. A lock of her blonde hair had fallen in front of her face. He reached out and slipped it behind her ear. Her composure had startled him, and yet she had always startled him. Her quick change in moods had always intrigued Drake; he had never met a girl who was so unpredictable.

"Why do you have to be like this? Why did you not just stay with me and Tom? Why did you have to make everything more complicated than it already was?"

The words rushed from Amy's mouth before she really realised what she was saying. She felt - more than saw - his warm hand brush her cheek. Her eyes closed and her face fell into his hand at his tender touch. A small sigh escaped her lips. His fingers moved to her chin as he gently tilted her head so their eyes were level. Amy stared into those dead blue eyes, which were the only real key to Drakes true emotions. The sadness within them hurt her, and she felt a tear dribble down her cheek. Drake reached out with his other hand and brushed it away.

"I don't know Amy, I wish I did" and before Amy could respond, he kissed her. At first it was gentle, but soon it became hard and firm. He clung to her as if he never wanted to let go. His hands ran through her hair as she returned his kiss.

The moment seemed to last forever. Drake forgot about everything, the bars that separated them seemed to melt away. He forgot about Sam, about Astrid, about Caine. All he knew was her, Amy, in that moment: her lips, her hair, her neck.

"Amy?"

They broke apart. The feeling of guilt returned to Amy but this time it was mixed with anger as she stared up at the intruder.

It was Sam.


End file.
